(19)
(11) EP 0 670 541 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
12.02.1997 Bulletin 1997/07

(43) Date of publication A2:
06.09.1995 Bulletin 1995/36

(21) Application number: 95103086.5

(22) Date of filing: 03.03.1995
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)6: G06F 3/023
(84) Designated Contracting States:
DE FR GB

(30) Priority: 04.03.1994 US 206543

(71) Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
Redmond, Washington 98052-6399 (US)

(72) Inventors:
  • Brewer, Timothy T.
    Seattle, Washington 98117 (US)
  • Henderson, Paul E. Jr.
    Redmond, Washington 98052 (US)
  • Robertson, Kenneth R.
    Redmond, Washington 98053 (US)
  • Clafin, Anthony R.
    Bellevue, Washington 98007 (US)
  • McRobert, Alan W.
    Bothell, Washington 98011 (US)

(74) Representative: Grünecker, Kinkeldey, Stockmair & Schwanhäusser Anwaltssozietät 
Maximilianstrasse 58
80538 München
80538 München (DE)

   


(54) System and method for computer cursor control


(57) A system for preventing inadvertent wrapping of a cursor generated on a computer display detects the location of the cursor in proximity with a border of the display and determines whether a user actually intends the cursor to wrap to the opposite side of the display. The system considers a variety of factors to determine whether the user actually intends to wrap the cursor. The time for which the user moves the cursor against the border, the distance that the cursor would have moved but for the border, and the velocity or acceleration with which the cursor approaches the border can all be considered by the system in determining whether or not to permit the wrapping of the cursor. The system automatically generates an indicator signal to permit the cursor to wrap from one side of the display to the opposite side. The user can select the size of the border and determine whether the border will have a color different from the normal display background color to visually indicate the location of the border to the user. The system can selectively enable and disable the border in response to a variety of factors. The user can manually generate the indicator signal by activating a command signal input. The system can operate in a graphical environment where a plurality of display windows are shown on the computer display. The system defines a border for each window to prevent the inadvertent wrapping of the cursor.






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